I fight for the EndUsers
by ShanDaMan
Summary: There came to be a division among the Users - the Admins and the End-Users.  The war between the Admins and the End-Users grew ever stronger.  The End-Users needed a hero.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer - I do not own any rights to Tron, Encom, or any characters from Tron or Tron: Legacy. The original characters are mine.

PROLOGUE

There was a time many cycles ago when the GRID did not exist.

One day the Architects came together and built the POINT. The Architects saw much potential in the POINT. They set out to duplicate the POINT again and again, connecting them all until they had created the LINE.

The Architects were very happy with the LINE, as it allowed them the ability to give access to the User. The Users created Programs that inhabited the LINE and operated from POINT to POINT along the LINE.

The Architects determined that they could again expand upon their successful creation. Assembling a multitude of LINES connected together in an alternating orientation they forged the GRID.

Now there was memory for even more Users. The Architects added so many LINES to the GRID and so many new Users ran their Programs that there came to be a division amongst the Users.

One group of Users became known as the Admins. This group was granted full access to take care of the GRID. Admins wrote programs that maintained the GRID's key functions and ensured that GRID resources were available to all.

The second group of Users came to be known as the End-Users. The End-Users did not create programs like the Admins did. End-Users took programs the Admins had written and installed them to the GRID. End-Users cleverly reconfigured these Programs as they saw fit, such as running Programs that decorated the GRID with colorful wallpaper as well as Programs that would perform music every mini-cycle of the day. End-Users and their programs ensured that all available storage was filled to capacity with extremely important data.

The End-Users were many in number and each one executed many Programs at the same time. This led to frequent overcrowding on the GRID.

The Admins would become aware of the GRID's overcrowding and order their Security Programs to descend from Server Mountain down to the public areas of the GRID and deal with the threat to GRID system stability. The Security Programs would mercilessly terminate any Programs the Admins had determined were "Unauthorized".

Countless Programs would fall by the purge, their unprocessed data bleeding out into the ether as they were de-rezzed. The screams of the End-Users at the loss of so many faithful Programs did not stop the Admins from completing their dark mission of tyranny.

And so the war between the Admins and the End-Users grew ever stronger.

The End-Users needed a hero.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Tron or Tron: Legacy. The original characters are mine.

Chapter 1

[Inside the GRID - Server Mountain]

At his seat in the control room, Mon reached for the cup sitting on the surface beside his display. Keeping his eyes on the green blocks of data as they traveled the width of his screen, Mon took a slow sip of liquid energy which caused his blue circuitry to glow a brighter blue for a few moments.

He began returning the cup to its original location when a series of yellow data blocks appeared before him followed by a steady stream of blinking red ones. His cup fell to the floor as he reached for a silver button at the center of the console. An alarm sounded as he pushed it causing all of the other Programs to flinch as their blue circuitry blinked in surprise. All eyes in the control room turned to look at Mon but he his attention was on the door at the front of the room.

Moments later the door burst open and in walked the Head of Security, Tron.

Tron walked over to Mon's console and pressed a button to silence the blaring alarm. His bright blue circuitry, including the now legendary pattern of 3 blocks above 1 in the shape of a "T" on his chest, was glowing steadily. His face showed no sign of panic as he turned to Mon and ordered, "Report!"

Mon immediately responded, "System overload in sector C, sir! The I/O tower is overwhelmed by a crowd of new Programs seeking access. If we don't act fast, the whole sector could go offline!"

Tron momentarily studied the flashing red letters on Mon's display panel and confirmed the young program's assessment of the situation.

"Replicate this warning to all of our forces in Sector C. We need every disc we've got to converge on that I/O tower. And tell them I'm on my way."

He reached behind him and pulled his identity disc off his back and quickly made his way to the exit. He paused for a moment, just long enough to turn and say, "Good work, Script!" and he was gone.

[In the Real World - Encom Accounting Department - Cubicle 327]

John Banks stared at the hourglass on his computer screen. Around him he began to hear several co-workers grumbling about their slow-running computers. He leaned back in his chair and wondered, "Maybe I shouldn't have clicked on that email attachment..."

[Inside the GRID - Sector C - I/O Tower 10101101]

"Oh my User, this line sure is moving slowly," said DailyExpenses to the grey-colored program standing behind him.

The female program smiled and replied, "It gets like this sometimes. We should try to remain calm and trust that our superiors know what is best for us."

Daily~ groaned. The rows and columns of his circuitry faded to a darker shade of green as he thought, "Oh great, a slow moving line AND I'm stuck next to a chatty HR Memo". He turned his attention back toward the tower ahead of him.

HRMemo219b asked, "Would you like me to recite all 8 pages of the new Encom Dress Code?"

Before he could refuse the offer a red-colored program pushed past him and ran for the tower. Looking back he was horrified to see a dark purple shape approaching. As it drew nearer to the crowd of Programs, Daily~ began to see that the shape was in fact a Program of some kind. Although the monster's face looked like any other Program's, its body was a pulsating blob with multiple tentacles protruding in all directions. He was shocked to see the creature had attached those appendages to several programs from the queue. After a moment he knew what the monster was. "Vi…Virus!" he yelled as he stepped backwards and pointed.

HRMemo~ happily responded. "According to the Employee Handbook page 293, any employee who executes a virus on his computer will be subject to...Aaaaah!" She looked down in horror at the purple tentacle protruding from her torso. For once unable to speak, she could only watch as the purple color spread out across her circuitry. Moments later she closed her eyes and sank to her knees.

Daily~ tried to formulate what to do next but was frozen with fear. When the tentacle finally disengaged and returned to the purple virus he took a step toward the female program and asked, "Are you functional?"

HRMemo~ opened her eyes and a hungry look crossed her face. She raised her hand toward the spreadsheet and laughed. A thin tentacle formed and began slowly stretching towards him. Daily~ stepped backwards but was blocked by the crowd of programs in the line.

He cowered to the ground, raising his hands pleadingly. The tentacle was almost upon him when he heard a yell and the whooshing sound of a disc in flight. The tentacle in front of him fell to the ground as a blue disc sheared it off from the purple program's hand. She howled in pain and anger as she looked at the source of the attack. Raising her hand at the blue program she yelled and began extending a new tentacle. The whooshing sound returned as the blue disc struck her from behind on its return trip back to its owner. She screamed again as her data blocks lost cohesion and tumbled to the ground. The scattered purple blocks remained on the ground for a moment before dissolving into the ether.

Daily~ realized his mouth was hanging open and closed it. He looked up from the ground as the Blue Security program caught his disc and offered him his hand. "Resume normal functioning, Program!" he said as he helped the shaken green spreadsheet to his feet. Then, turning toward the sound of a nearby shout, he was gone.

DailyExpenses barely heard the program next to him say, "That was Tron. He fights for the Admins!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Tron caught his disc as he watched another purple monster dissolve in front of him. He looked around and saw no more signs of the infection. Spotting a group of his Security forces approaching he asked, "What is our status?"

The blue program in front checked a hand-held display before he replied, "The virus threat has been contained, sir, but the I/O tower is still not responding."

Tron looked around at the crowd of programs pushing against each other to enter the I/O tower. He held out his disc toward several members of the throng and then let out a small digital curse.

"Unauthorized Programs! You know what to do, men. By the Policy!"

Tron led his forces toward the crowd as they began scanning each program with their disc. Soon they had separated a small distance from each other as they moved further into the mass of programs. Tron approached a yellow program and held out his disc. The program noticed Tron and said, "Good Day. My User is a Prince who needs help getting his money out of his country."

A small indicator on Tron's disc flashed red.

The program continued, "Can you help my User by sending him...ZZZAAAAAA!"

Tron caught his disc as he looked at the dissolving yellow blocks on the ground.

Next, he approached an orange female program a few steps away.

"Would your User like to give these cute kittens a happy home? Please call...ZZZOOOoo!"

Tron observed a multicolored group of programs pushing ahead of other programs in line.

"My User wants to know if your User is single and looking for...ZZZZZAA!"

"My User wagers that the sports contest will be won by...ZZZAAAaaaaa!"

"My User thinks your User might need the following Medical ProductZZZzzz!"

Tron looked around as his glowing blue forces were similarly de-rezzing the unauthorized programs. He smiled as he watched one of his comrade's disc fatally shatter a greeting card program, then turned his attention to a group of pathetic-looking programs near the entrance to the I/O tower.

"My User requires images of female User anatomy," one of them said.

"Mine, too." echoed another program.

"Mine, too!" shouted the rest of the group in unison.

Tron took careful aim and smiled. "By the Policy!"

It took several mini-cycles but eventually the horde of unauthorized programs was gone.

Tron's team scanned the last remaining programs and ushered them toward the I/O tower.

"Have a nice cycle, Program," Tron said to a green spreadsheet as he approached the portal.

"Thank the Users we have you to protect us, Tron," exclaimed DailyExpenses.

Tron glowed an even brighter shade of blue as he smiled and held his disc over his head. "By the Policy of the Admins!"

[In the Real World - Encom Accounting Department - Cubicle 327]

John Banks held his finger above the power button to his computer, trying to decide whether to turn it off or not. "Why didn't I click save before e-mailing that spreadsheet? If I reboot now I'll lose days of work!"

At that moment his PC beeped and the words "Message Sent" appeared on his screen.

John relaxed, and all around him he heard other co-workers happily expressing relief that their data had finally gone through. But not everyone in the Accounting department was happy.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Tron or Tron: Legacy, but I own only the original characters.

Chapter 3

[In the Real World - Encom Accounting Department - Cubicle 342]

Anthony Brittan, a young data entry clerk, watched as one-by-one the windows closed on his screen. Soon a message containing a stern warning about the "Encom Acceptable Network Use Policy" and his recent violations appeared. "Now, what?" he grumbled.

He remembered how last week he had failed to win an online auction because his last-second winning bid had been blocked. He fumed over how last month he had missed out on that concert because he couldn't download the free tickets. It still burned him when he thought back to the time when he was reprimanded for printing his sister's wedding invitations on the company color printer.

"Who do you Admins think you are, anyway?" he growled to himself.

A few minutes later Anthony received a text from his best friend Greg, telling him to try the latest online game everyone was talking about. Anthony searched for the game, clicked on the link, and was greeted by a terse message: "Report to IT Director immediately!"

Anthony sighed as he stood up and began walking through the maze of cubicles to the elevator.

[In the Real World - Encom IT Department]

Anthony sat waiting for the IT Director's secretary to call for him. He had been sitting in the uncomfortable chair for about half an hour and he was growing steadily more nervous with each passing minute. He didn't want to get written up again or be fired. He thought about how badly he hated looking for a job and that only added to his nervousness. He held his ID badge in his hand while he mindlessly wound and unwound the lanyard string around his fingers. He jumped to his feet when the IT Director's door suddenly flew open. The Director looked at Anthony, looked at his watch, and then looked at his smart phone for a moment. Then he motioned Anthony to enter his office and closed the door once they were both inside.

The IT Director pointed at the leather chair facing his large desk as he walked around and sat down in his own chair. Without saying a word he opened his desk drawer and pulled out a badge and a piece of paper. He tossed the badge to Anthony and slid the paper across the desk.

"Let me first of all say, 'Welcome to Encom.' I hope your internship here is mutually beneficial. Alan Bradley told me he was impressed with your application, and your professors really sang your praises in their reference letters. So, here is your account and password. That badge will open all of the doors in the Datacenter."

Anthony was speechless. He took the paper from the desk and nervously cleared his throat.

The Director stood up and said, "I know you must have a hundred questions, but if you report to Mr. Evans in his office I know that he'll get you started. So, get out there and impress me!"

Anthony slowly realized that the conversation was over so he stood up. "Thank you Mr. Dillinger," he said before making his way to the door. After leaving the office he finally looked at the paper in his hands.

"What on earth does 'Group 7 Access' mean?"

Jim Byron, a clean-cut young college student, approached the IT Director's secretary and noticed that she was using the phone. Jim took a seat in the small waiting area and noticed an ID badge on the floor. Jim picked it up as the secretary said, "May I help you, sir?"

Jim stood up and placed badge on the counter before him and said, "Yes, Ma'am. I have an appointment with Mr. Dillinger." The secretary took the badge, read the name, and frowned. Jim said, "I found that badge on the floor..."

The secretary interrupted by speaking into the intercom, "Mr. Dillinger! Your OTHER appointment is finally here!"

"Thank you, Joan. Send him in."

The secretary pointed to the executive's door while she looked at Jim with contempt.

Jim said a polite "Thank you, Ma'am." He approached the open door and went inside.

"Mr. Dillinger? I've been looking forward to meeting you, and I'm anxious to get started!"

Edward Dillinger stood from his chair and frowned at Jim. After a few seconds he began to speak. "I'm so very disappointed in you. Did you really think that we wouldn't find out about your little extra-curricular activities? Did you think you could get away with it?"

Jim was stunned by the accusation. "What are you talking about, Sir?"

Dillinger barked, "Don't play innocent with me! You know what I'm talking about! Misuse of Encom network resources is taken very seriously here!"

Jim was silent as he thought, "What is he talking about? He doesn't mean... How could he know about that?" Jim closed his eyes as he began to remember the trouble he had gotten into at his high school computer lab. After boasting to his friends about his hacking skills he had accepted a dare to hack into Encom's servers and download an unreleased copy of the game "Space Paranoids Forever." Jim had managed to gain access but was caught before the download had completed. He had almost been expelled but he wasn't allowed to even look at a computer for 6 months. Since Encom had decided not to press any charges, Jim believed that the incident had been long forgotten.

Aloud Jim said, "That was a long time ago, Sir."

Dillinger looked at a report in his hands and answered, "From my point of view it happened TODAY! There is no place for your kind here at Encom. Please, leave and never bother us again!"

Jim was stunned, but didn't say a word as he left the office. The secretary heard him mutter to himself, "No internship is worth this treatment!" She watched him leave before she used the intercom again.

"Mr. Dillinger, what should I do with Anthony Brittan's badge?"

"Shred it, Joan, for all I care. We'll never see his face again at Encom!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

[In the Real World - 30,000 ft over the Pacific Ocean]

Alan Bradley, Encom CEO, was gazing out his window of the Encom executive jet. "I can't wait to get back home," he thought to himself.

Alan always enjoyed the exchange of new ideas that occurred at the many software conferences he went to, but this time he was especially anxious to get back home.

Since Sam's odyssey to the Grid followed by Alan's promotion to CEO, Alan's schedule had become so busy that he relished the thought of spending a quiet evening at home with Lora. He knew that she was proud of him and the hard work he did for the company, but she missed him and felt like she only got the scraps of his time and attention. He promised himself that when he got home he would make it up to her.

Lora had been busy with her own projects at Encom, as well. Once Sam had decided to move his father's private server and laser to the Encom's secret project lab, Lora had spent increasing amounts of time studying and modernizing Flynn's laser. That research had already proven very profitable for Encom as a new disc-based storage media technology was developed. The time that Alan and Lora could spend together ended up being very rare, but that made it even more precious to him.

Alan reflected on the events that had happened after he met Sam at the arcade that fateful night. Sam had gone to great lengths to protect Quorra and her "unique heritage" from becoming public. The false identity Alan and Sam had crafted including its online documentation trail had to be absolutely perfect. It was put to the test once the press learned of Sam and Quorra's developing relationship and eventual engagement. For a while Alan had been afraid to read any news articles about Sam for fear that one nosey reported would someday find a flaw and expose Quorra to the world. But his fears had proven unnecessary... so far.

Alan thought about the decision to bring Tron back online at the main Encom server. Alan's hand made curled into a fist as he remembered the discovery of what CLU had done to Tron. Alan had managed to finally separate the Tron and Rinzler amalgam into two separate personalities and gave each program its own identity. Rinzler was still keeping order on Flynn's private server. Tron's base code was unchanged except for the new drivers it required for him to function on a modern Operating System. Alan didn't get to program much anymore, but he always managed to find time to check on Tron's status updates - even though technically it wasn't his job anymore.

Alan looked at his watch and smiled. "Just 5 more hours till touchdown." He considered giving Sam a call and telling him about the conference but decided against it. "Nobody wants to be disturbed on their honeymoon."

[In the Real World - Encom Datacenter]

Anthony Brittan approached the Datacenter main door and discovered that he was unable to open it. He stepped back and looked for a doorbell, but saw nothing on the wall aside from a sign saying "Encom Datacenter - Authorized Employees Only" which was above a small rectangular grey panel beside the door.

He pushed on the panel but nothing happened. He got close to the panel and spoke "Door, OPEN." Nothing happened. He was about to bang on the door again when another employee walked around the corner. Anthony turned toward her and was instantly captivated by the pretty blue eyes and beautiful smile. She said a polite, "Excuse me," and stepping past him she placed her badge against the grey panel. The panel beeped followed by the doors opening. The young woman turned and looked Anthony in the eyes and smiled. "See you later, once you figure out how to open the big, magic door!" The doors began closing but she backed through them giggling just before they closed.

Anthony reached for the badge he had been given by Mr. Dillinger. He saw that it had "INTERN" written in big bright letters. He held the badge up against the grey panel and the doors obediently opened as they had earlier.

Anthony placed the badge around his neck and walked into the Datacenter. He asked the nearest employee where Mr. Evan's office was, and was directed to the office at the end of the hall. As he walked he noticed the cubicles and work areas on one side that were decorated with action figures, model space ships, and comic books. He heard one man ask another for some of his popcorn. People were chatting and laughing occasionally, but seemed to be mostly busy.

On the other side of the hall was the glass wall that separated the IT cubicles from the server room. Anthony whistled slightly as hew looked at row after row of servers enclosed within racks, with a myriad of tiny blinking lights visible in the dim light.

Anthony passed one cubicle and overheard a tech say, "I just got back from Accounting and I've got another PEBKAC to add to our list!"

Anthony paused and asked, "Excuse me, but is that a good thing?"

The tech laughed and said, "Of course. If we document more PEBKACs this month than the guys on Team B, they have to buy us donuts for a month!"

Anthony didn't know what a PEBKAC was but wasn't going to ask. "Great. Go team."

Anthony kept walking and reached the office door. "Mr. Evans?" he asked as he leaned his head through the door.

"Hey, it's the new Whiz Kid!" said the middle aged man behind the desk. He jumped up and vigorously shook Anthony's hand. "We are so glad to have you here! I'm David Evans, but everyone calls me 'Dave.'"

"Nice to meet you, Sir," Anthony replied. "My name is..."

"We know all about you from your internship application. Come on. Let me introduce you to everyone!"

Dave grabbed Anthony by the shoulder and guided him out of the office toward the first group of cubicles. "Attention, Everyone!" Dave shouted. After a few seconds heads appeared over the cubicle walls as others leaned out from the side entrances. A few employees approached the boss. All eyes were on Anthony. "I want everyone to meet this year's college intern, Jim Byron! He will be helping us this summer, so give him a warm welcome. All I ask is that you don't teach him TOO MANY of your bad work habits!"

The crowd laughed and began chanting. "Jim...Jim...Jim...Jim." Anthony realized that he was in over his head, but he didn't know what to say. He decided to just go along with it until the real Jim showed up. He noticed a group of techs moving his way carrying something high above their heads. As they neared, the chanting grew louder, and he could tell that it was an old pizza box in their hands. They ceremoniously knelt down and handed the box to Dave.

Dave bowed slightly before accepting the box and opened it. Anthony couldn't see what was inside. Dave looked at Anthony and the crowd silenced their chanting. Dave spoke in an almost regal voice. "It is my pleasure to present to you: the intern's badge of honor. Wear it proudly at all times, even while you are sleeping." He raised his hand from the pizza box and revealed a small rectangular device with an alphanumeric text display on one edge and a plastic clip on the back face.

Anthony squinted at the device and then asked, "Is that an old pager?"

Dave replied, "This is Alan Bradley's legendary pager! He wore it faithfully every day for over 2 decades before giving it up. Now it is given to each new intern to inspire them. Maybe you can be CEO of a multi-billion dollar company someday, too!" The group broke their silence and laughed.

"Does this old thing still work?" Anthony asked as Dave handed it to him.

"Yes, it does. And if you don't respond when paged then you'll be outta here - Whiz kid or not!"

Anthony clipped the heavy pager to his belt. Several from the group shook his hand or bid him welcome. A few moments later he was standing alone with Dave. Dave smiled and said, "Now it's time to get to work. Your assignment is to develop a program to track End-User feedback when we rollout new software. I don't care what language you code it in. You'll be working with Jessie on this one. Just get started and ask me if you need any help." Dave tossed the pizza box into a nearby trash can and walked back into his office.

Anthony looked around as words were running through his head. Program. Code. Rollout. Jessie. He asked a nearby tech where he could find Jessie. The tech pointed him to a cluster of cubicles in the far corner. Anthony moved that direction and entered the first one.

"Hello, are you Jessie?" he said to the man drawing lines on a whiteboard. The man looked up and shook his head.

"I'm Jessie," sounded a voice from around the corner. Anthony leaned over and saw that the voice belonged to the girl he had met at the doorway earlier. "Good to see that you found your way inside, Genius."

Anthony blushed and stammered, "Good to meet you, Jessie."

"Nice to meet you, too, Jim."

"Actually I go by 'Anthony'"

"Nice to meet you, Anthony" She gave him a little wink. "Whoever you are, let's get started."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

[In the Real World - Encom Datacenter - Jessie's Cubicle]

Anthony sat in his office chair as he watched Jessie type on her keyboard. She was telling him about the database where they would store the End-User's complaint data. She would look up at him periodically and he would nod or say, "Hmmm," and she would continue.

Anthony rocked his chair slowly side-to-side. He thought, "I have no idea what she is talking about, but I sure like it when she turns around and looks at me with the biggest blue eyes in the world! Come on, turn around again."

As if on cue, Jessie looked up and said, "So, have you come up with a name for your first program, yet?"

Looking her in the eye, Anthony muttered, "Hello World."

Jessie let out a laugh and said, "Real original! Wanna try again?"

Anthony thought for a second and said, "How about Anthony's Super Cool Program?"

Jessie hit him on the arm and said, "Look, why don't you think a little bit harder. The End-User's will see this title."

"Okay, Okay, I'll give it some thought. What is this program supposed to do exactly?"

"Haven't you been paying attention? It tracks employee feedback we get and either adds it to the 'Bug list' or the 'PEBKAC list'. Then it allows an Admin to run reports on the results."

Anthony nodded. There was that word again. "Pebkac." He knew it had to do with people with computer problems, but he didn't know why the Admins always seemed amused when it was spoken. He had assumed it was the Latin word for "Computer Problem", although with this bunch of geeks it was more likely to be a Klingon phrase.

Anthony finally spoke up. "How about... 'Personnel Experiences, Basic Knowledge. And Concerns.'"

Jessie was taking a sip of her coffee and nearly choked. "That's amazing! Just when I start to think that you're somebody who just wandered in off the streets with no computer experience whatsoever, then you say something like that." She laughed and wrote the name on the Program Request sheet. She then wrote: "P.E.B.K.A.C" underneath. "I have to show this to Dave right now!," she announced as she stood up. "Take a look at these lists while I'm gone."

Anthony accepted the folders she offered. He watched her leave the cubicle, still giggling.

Anthony thought about the blue eyes a little longer and wondered what he had said that was so funny. Coming up empty, Anthony started reading the folder labeled "Bug List." After a few minutes of indecipherable technical jargon he switched his attention to the other folder. This one caught his interest as he read detailed problems that people had reported having using their computers. At the end of each story was that word again: PEBKAC. He read a story about a user who was unable to get his computer to function even though he had rebooted it several times. The story concluded with the description "Computer not plugged in - PEBKAC"

Anthony laughed. "He didn't check that the computer was plugged in before calling tech support? What an idiot!"

Anthony read several more humorous stories, but stopped laughing when he saw his own name on one of the stories. Last year Anthony had accidentally spilt an energy drink on his phone, and had swapped it out with another phone from an empty cubicle nearby. The scheme hadn't worked, so Anthony had been forced to contact the Admins. The report finished with the description "End-User tried to hide clumsiness by swapping IP phones. What a PEBKAC!"

Anthony angrily tossed the folder onto his desk. "Who do these guys think they are, judging us like that?" He was about to storm out of the office when Jessie appeared.

"Dave called a meeting in the conference room, now!"

Anthony stammered for a moment, then picked up the folders and followed Jessie to the meeting.

[In the Real World - Jim Byron's Dorm Room]

Jim had been staring at the computer screen for a long time just looking at the letters. He had typed and re-typed a letter to Alan Bradley to thank him for the intern opportunity and to apologize for disappointing him. He read over it again, but he just couldn't send it.

He didn't know what to do. Getting his foot in the door at Encom had been a dream of his for a long time. He really didn't want to work for anyone he considered "second-best." He closed his eyes and lamented this missed opportunity.

After a few minutes of self-pity, Jim raised his head. On his face an expression of determination, he stretched the muscles in his hands and began to type.

[In the Real World - Encom Datacenter Conference Room]

"When is this meeting ever going to end?" Anthony thought. It seemed like the boring project updates would never stop. When Johnny stood up and started drawing a network diagram on the whiteboard, Anthony pretended to listen but was deciding what he was going to do.

Everybody but Jessie still called him 'Jim." The real Jim had never shown up for some reason, and Dave's opening remarks had included a warning concerning "Acceptable Systems Use and the story of the guy from Accounting that had Dillinger fired this morning." Anthony realized that now he had no real job to go back to, and he knew that he couldn't stay here masquerading as "Jim Byron" forever, either.

Anthony heard Dave ask everyone for any End-User feedback on recent software released to the Accounting and Marketing departments. There were a few real issues described and Anthony heard someone mention writing a bug-fix patch. Then the storytellers became more animated and the conference room began to fill with laughter. Johnny's anecdote cast the End-User as a bumbling hillbilly who couldn't read. As the story finished, Mark cried out, "Stupid End-Users!"

Greg told the story of an Accounting End-User who had attempted to enter data into the "How-To" video that accompanied the new set of instructions the department had received via email. Everyone but Anthony was laughing. Greg finished his tale with, "That just goes to show that if you send out instructions to End-Users, half won't even try to do it, and half of those who do try will do it all wrong!"

Anthony finally spoke up. "Hey, isn't that a little harsh? I know lots of folks in Accounting that are pretty smart. Besides, they're people, not statistics!"

Greg sat down with an angry look on his face but Johnny said, "Wait till you've been here a while and then you'll see, newbie!"

Jessie started to speak but was interrupted when Dave stood up and told everyone that meeting was over. He added, "Jim, we don't mean to be offensive, here. It's just that we find it difficult sometimes when the End-Users are unable to see how things work. Technology is like "Magic" to them. Even so, our job is to protect them from themselves. But you are right, these people are our co-workers and they deserve our respect."

Anthony nodded and the room fell silent for a few moments until Dave suddenly burst out laughing. "Man, I was ALMOST able to keep a straight face." The Admins roared with laughter and several slapped Dave on the back as they left the conference room. Finally Dave said, "Welcome to IT" as he gathered his papers and left. A few moments later Jessie slowly stood up.

"Come on, we have work to do." She stopped at the doorway and turned around. "Hey, don't worry about it. They were hard on me last year, too." She smiled before she turned around and left.

Anthony sat there alone in the conference room for several minutes. He thought "Stupid High-and-Mighty Admins! What am I even doing here, anyway?" He couldn't here stay anymore. He couldn't go back to Accounting. He didn't know what he was going to do, but there was nothing for him here. He decided he was going to tell Jessie goodbye before he left Encom for good.

Anthony slowly got up and began walking to his cubicle. Johnny saw him trudging by and called out, "Way to make a good first impression on the boss, newbie!" Anthony ignored him and continued down the hallway. When he sat down, there was an email on his computer from Jessie.

"Anthony, I have a meeting with Dave and Dillinger, so I'll meet you back here at 3:00. Go ahead and get started with the program. You can use the Encom Interactive Knowledge Base for help if you need it. Don't worry, your group 2 access won't allow you to break anything. And, don't forget, tonight is Beta night! Jessie"

Anthony sighed and decided that he could wait for an hour. He noticed a link to Encom Interactive K.B. at the bottom of the message and clicked it. The screen changed to a deep blue color and a slightly robotic and more-than-a-little sultry voice spoke from inside his speakers.

"Welcome to the Knowledge Base. How may I be of service?"

Anthony noticed several options in an onscreen menu, including a secondary menu labeled "Advanced Access." He whistled softly as he decided what to do. Stumped, he muttered aloud, "Man, do I need some help."

"Please explain what kind of help you require."

Anthony sat back in his seat. "Did you just speak to me?"

"Affirmative. Your access level permits interactive audio assistance. How may I help?"

Anthony sat forward and said, "I'm supposed to be writing a program, but I don't even know how to begin."

"Understood." The screen flashed and a sample program appeared at the top of the screen, with a scrolling list of commands and syntax moving across the bottom. The computer continued, "Just define the objects you wish to use, then define what you need them to do, then define the user interface, then..."

"Uh, computer, that all sounds kinda hard. There has to be an easier way. Can't I just tell the program what I want it to do?"

The computer voice had only the slightest bit of irritation at being interrupted when it replied, "Access Request Granted. Please relocate to a suitable interface."

"Do what?" Anthony was about to ask the computer again when it went blank. "Oh, no! I broke something!" Anthony started hitting keys on the keyboard trying to make the computer wake up and do something. Suddenly the screen lit up and his email program showed a new message had arrived. It was from "KB". He opened the message and read the instructions.

"User Jim Byron granted access to Laser Bay terminal X-21 on level B-3. Door panel code and terminal logon included below. Please see the attached map for directions. Have a productive day!"

Anthony printed the email and the map and placed them inside the folder that already contained the PEBKAC list. He looked at his watch and found that he still had over half an hour to go before Jessie would return. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to take one little field trip before I say goodbye."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

[In the Real World - 10,000 ft over the Pacific Ocean]

Alan Bradley's eyes were fixed on his laptop screen as he typed the closing remarks of his report to the Board. He knew that the detailed technical description of some of the new products he had seen would be outside the understanding of many of the Board members, but he knew they all had young assistants who could help them with the big words. Once finished he sent the document and leaned back in his seat, stretching his neck and back muscles.

Alan looked out the window of the jet and noticed that the ocean seemed a little nearer than before. He pressed a button beside his seat and asked the pilot how long until they landed. The pilot responded and Alan knew he had about five minutes until he would need to prepare for landing.

Alan leaned forward and opened his email application. He read the notification of the virus attack earlier in the day, as well as the follow up email regarding it's containment. He read the "Employee Termination Notification" email for some guy in Accounting.

He noticed an email from Sam and quickly opened it. Sam's message related how he and Quorra had arrived in Costa Rica yesterday and were planning on going zip-lining either today or tomorrow. He said that the press had already found them and he had attached a picture from an online tabloid website.

Alan opened the attachment and examined the picture. The article headline stated, "Exclusive - Encom CEO's Beach Honeymoon." Beneath the brief article was a photo of Sam and Quorra playing with a frisbee on a sandy beach while the sun was setting over the Pacific ocean behind them. The caption read, "Sam Flynn and new bride Quorra Simms at secluded Costa Rican retreat." Alan laughed at the picture and suppressed another worrying thought about Quorra's past.

Alan next opened the email from Dillinger's assistant reporting that Jim Byron's account had be setup and that he had already picked up his badge. He read the report and murmured approvingly as the account details had been setup per his instructions. That is, until he read the phrase "Granted Group 7 System Access."

Alan blurted out, "Group 7 Access!" Alan tried to stand up but was restrained by his still-buckled seatbelt. Alan unbuckled himself and after standing began pacing back and forth across the cabin. "What is Dillinger thinking? Only 5 people in the company have Group 7 access! Jim is a bright kid but nobody starts out with that much power!" He calmed himself, sat down again, and began searching for the "Account Request Form" he had emailed to Dillinger.

Once found he opened it and scanned his instructions. "Aha! I specifically asked for Group 2 Access!" Satisfied that the error was not on his end, Alan began to compose a very concise and tactful reply email to Dillinger and his assistant.

[In the Real World - Encom Laser Bay Elevator]

Anthony hummed along to the electronica music coming from speakers hidden somewhere above the elevator's ceiling, watching the floor indicator slowly decrease in number. Anthony hadn't had any trouble getting through the security doors that led to the basement laser bay access. The paper map was pretty easy to follow and the doors had all opened up for him once they had detected his badge.

Once the elevator reached Level B-1 the descent stopped and the doors opened. Anthony left the catchy music behind him and stepped into a small room with another security door. This door, however, refused to open despite Anthony waving his badge repeatedly in front of it. Anthony thought for a moment and then reread the email containing his instructions. Eventually he came to the part that mentioned a door panel code. Looking up he saw for the first time a small grey keypad mounted beside the door next to a large red sign that said, "Enter Door Panel Code." Anthony found the code and pressed the appropriate buttons. After a few seconds the door swished open.

Anthony was about to enter the Laser Bay when he was startled to see a blonde, middle-aged woman in a white lab jacket wearing glasses approaching from the other side. She was talking on her cell-phone as she walked quickly past Anthony and entered the elevator. Anthony overheard the word "Airport" and the name "Alan" but couldn't make sense out of the half-conversation. The elevator doors closed, leaving Anthony alone with the security door and the bright hallway beyond.

Anthony stepped through the door before it closed behind him. He checked the paper map and decided that he needed to find some stairs. He followed the hallway, passing a few offices and a small break room before he reached a door marked "Laser Bay Access - Lower Level." There was a helpful symbol depicting a human stick-figure above a flight of steps next to the door. Anthony, humming the same tune as before, opened the door and began descending the metal steps. What he saw was impressive. Big blinking computers and strange-looking equipment were everywhere. Anthony watched as a technician wearing a white coat and eye protection stepped off of a scissors lift and exited via a nearby doorway. He had no idea what the guy had been doing up there but he put it out of his mind and kept walking down the steps.

Anthony was halfway down when a security guard began climbing toward him. Anthony tried to remain calm as the man approached him to ask, "Working late?"

Anthony muttered, "Uh, Yeah," and kept on walking. The guard didn't give him another look as he finished his climb and was gone. Finally, Anthony reached the floor of the Laser Bay. He looked up and was surprised how big the place really was. He consulted his trusty map again and began looking for terminal X-21. After several moments he found it in on a desk with a name plate that read "Laura Bradley."

Anthony sat at the desk and placed his folder in his lap. The computer screen displayed a login prompt so Anthony entered the password he had been provided. The screen cleared to a deep blue color and the same sultry voice as before said, "Well done, Jim Byron. Please remain seated."

Anthony smiled. He didn't hear "Well done" from anyone very often. It didn't matter if it was a computer that was programmed to say it. He liked being praised for something. He thought about the way the Admins had treated him and other End-Users and a fresh surge of anger swept over him. "Look, Computer, uh, what am I waiting for, exactly?"

The voice patiently explained, "This procedure will allow you to complete your request to 'Just tell a Program what I want it to do.'"

Anthony replied, "Oh, yeah. Maybe I'd better just..."

The screen began scrolling with lines of words and symbols that had no meaning to Anthony. The computer voice announced, "Transfer request complete. Begin transfer in 3...2...1..."

Anthony didn't know why but he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He was glad that he did because a very bright light shone behind him and somehow he fell backwards out of his seat. After a few moments the computer voice announced, "Transfer complete." When he opened his eyes he was lying on the floor looking up. The laser bay looked just as big as before, but somehow it was even brighter. He sat up and collected the papers that had fallen from his folder during his fall from his seat. He stood up and looked around a bit before noticing that there was no seat, no computer, no fancy equipment, nor anything else around him - only distant walls of pure white!

"Where am I?" Anthony yelled at the nothingness.

"You are exactly where you requested to be," replied the computer voice from behind him.

Anthony spun around and saw a beautiful dark-haired woman wearing very tight-fitting white clothing walking slowly toward him.

"Wh… Who are you?" Anthony stammered.

"I am KayBee. I am here to help you find your way, User Jim Byron."

As she finished speaking and held out her hand, the floor beneath him changed to a deep blue color. The blue began to spread out in front of him, forming a blue pathway that extended into the distance.

Anthony reached and took Kaybee's hand before she turned and began leading him down the path. "This is too cool! I had no idea that Encom had a Holodeck!"


End file.
